When you walk into Chino — probably following a wait, if you’re going around peak hours (they text you when your table is ready) — the first you notice might be the colorful, beachball-like paper lanterns seemingly floating in the back of the restaurant. Or maybe it might be the sneakers hanging from the lights by their shoestrings. Both are common Chinatown sights (sometimes even together!), but both are utilized at Chino to create a restaurant that is already popular and speaks very much to a successful formula in the Mission today.

Chino is the Chinese/Asian restaurant from the crew behind Tacolicious, set in the old Andalu. Like decor, the food (click here for a menu) takes familiar reference points – boba drinks, pork riblets, dumplings, xiao long bao, steamed buns — and gives them a San Francisco twist, be it turning sweet boba drinks into boozy versions or a cilantro-rich cold plate of Hodo Soy yuba and pickled mushrooms. It’s not all Chinese-centered either. You’ll see some lumpia, some matcha soft serve ice cream, and yeah, that’s a Margarita on the drink list from Alembic vet Danny Louie. Even Bar Tartine chef Nick Balla gets in the action, going back to his Nombe/O Izakaya roots by sharing his Japanese-style wings recipe on the Chino menu.

Chino is not trying to be authentic, or traditional, or whatever those words mean in today’s Bay Area culinary landscape. It aims to be a good restaurant that delivers on its promise of good food and service, and as at Tacolicious, it all goes down in a bustling atmosphere.

Chino: 3198 16th St. (at Guerrero Street), San Francisco. (415) 552-5771 or chinosf.com. Dinner nightly, until June 2 when it is open for lunch and dinner daily, 11:30 a.m.- 1 a.m. Full liquor.